An aerial view of the under construction "Parrot Island," the centerpiece of Shanghai's planned national-level ocean park yesterday. The park is due to be completed by 2020.(Xinhua)
Shanghai's Jinshan District will build the city's first national-level ocean park -- with a large area of wetland as its centerpiece.
Scheduled to be completed by 2020, the park aims to restore the ecological environment of three islands it will incorporate as well as offshore areas in south Shanghai, the planning authority of the district said yesterday.
The park, which will cover 39 square kilometers, will be built at the coastal areas near Jinshan City Beach, said the Jinshan Planning and Land Authority.
"To be different with other commercial ocean parks in Hong Kong and Pudong, the Jinshan ocean park focuses on the protection of precious oceanic species, geological and historic relics as well as local cultures and traditions," said Yang Guoxian, director with the authority
As well as the three islands, the park will incorporate sea areas north of Hangzhou Bay and 3 square kilometers of land will be reclaimed from the sea for the park, according to the authority.
A 7.3-kilometer-long seashore area which is home to chemical factories will be redeveloped into a recreational site for the park, said Yang.
A nearby fishing village, Jinshanzui, said to be the city's only remaining fishing village and which has since been developed into a popular tourism attraction, will be expanded to serve visitors to the park, Yang added.
He said the priority of the park was to restore the ocean ecological environment, while the secondary target was to attract tourists.
Construction has started on the park's centerpiece, a 232,000-square-meter wetland to be named "Parrot Island" because of its shape.
The wetland project will be partially finished and open to public by the end of the year.
